The U.S. Equestrian Team has announced the four athlete-and-horse combinations selected to the U.S. Para-Dressage Team for the Tokyo Paralympic Games, as well as one direct reserve and two team alternates.
The team members are, in alphabetical order:
• Beatrice de Lavalette (Loxahatchee, Florida) and Clarc, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Elizabeth and Nicolas de Lavalette
• Rebecca Hart (Loxahatchee, Florida) and El Corona Texel, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Rowan O’Riley
Direct Reserve: Fortune 500, a 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Rowan O’Riley
• Kate Shoemaker (Wellington, Florida) and Solitaer 40, a 14-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Kate, Craig, and Deena Shoemaker
• Roxanne Trunnell (Royal Palm Beach, Florida) and Dolton, a 9-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Flintwoode Farms LLC and Karin Flint
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The three combinations who will represent the U.S. in team competition will be determined after the completion of the Individual Tests on August 27. All nominations to the U.S. Paralympic Team are subject to approval by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
The following combinations have been named as team alternates and are listed in selected order:
• Sydney Collier (Ann Arbor, Michigan) and All In One, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Georgina Bloomberg
• Charlotte Merle-Smith (Ocala, Florida) and Guata, her own 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare
“Selectors had a difficult task to choose four athletes to represent the U.S. at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, as we had a lot of talented athletes all gathering score averages over 70 percent for the past six months,” Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline said. “I really believe they have chosen a good squad and I very much look forward to the journey to Tokyo. We will be facing fierce competition as several top European teams have done extremely well recently at international competitions, but we have done too. We have a strong, competitive group, and I look forward to our tactical preparations leading up to Tokyo.”
Paralympic equestrian competition is set to begin on August 28 and continue through August 30 at the Equestrian Park venue in Tokyo.
